Store fixture



Dec. 28, 1943. CO NOR 2,338,008

STORE FIXTURE Filed Jan. e, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Hank M. U DTLTLEII ATTORNEYS.-

Dec. 28, 1943. F. M, OCONNOR STORE FIXTURE Filed Jan. 6, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

FIG. 4. 35

3 A 5 A! M 8 I 3 A. 4 4 2 H V y FIG.

I X f/ 40 39 44 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 28, 1943 2,338,008 STORE FIXTURE Frank M.

Application January 6, 1943,

6 Claims.

This invention relates to supports and racks and more particularly to store fixtures of that kind.

An important object of the invention is to provide a store fixture embodying a plurality of inclined and vertically-adjustable shelves, which are also horizontally adjustable, and carried'by a particularly sturdy support.

Another object is to provide a store fixture, including inclined shelves sloping downwardly toward the front, fed from the rear and adapted to carry rows of containers, such as cans, boxes or packages, with the rows separated one from the other, and the containers tending to move forwardly and downwardly by gravity.

Still another object is to provide combined separator and support means, adapted to separate rows of containers on shelves, guide them forward and downwardly, and, in addition, add strength and support to the shelves themselves.

Among the additional objects are to provide sturdy, but light-weight inclined shelves, inexpensive to manufacture, carried by inexpensive end supports, and providing units adapted to be arranged side by side, to make up the shelving of a store or the like.

Other objects will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification and in which drawings:

Figure l is an fixture unit.

Figure 2 is a vertical section thereof.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of a pluralityof such units.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section thru an adjustable bracket employed in the novel store fixture. I

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 6 is an enlarged longitudinal section thru portions of a novel inclined shelf and showing the shelf brace and article separator employed.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary section thru the shelf and bracket.

Figure 8 is a pusher, ShOWn partly in elevation and partly in section, which may be employed in combination with the novel fixture.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the letter A may designate the novel store fixture in general, the letter B the support portion thereof; C the shelves; D end panels carrying the shelvesC; E, bracket means end elevation of the novel store OConnor, Austin, Minn.

Serial No.v 471,481

for securing the end panels D to the support portion B; F container separator and guide means; G anchor and support means for the article separator and guide means F and shelves C; and H pusher means for containers of merchandise J.

The novel store fixture A may be made wholly of metal, of metal and wood, mostly of wood, or partly of suitable plastics.

The supportsB include, preferably, a pair of substantially V-shaped vertical, spaced-apart members lfi, each made up of two lengths of suitable material, suitably secured together at their lower ends H and diverging therefrom, with their upper ends 12 joined by a cross plate [3. The lower ends H are secured to a base piece l4 and may be braced as at l5 while the pair of members ill may be joined together in any suitable manner as by cross member iii, whereby the V-shaped members are held in upright positions, as is apparent. With this construction, of opposed inclined. or sloping faces or surfaces H are provided for each member in Figures 1 and 2.

The shelves C are of novel construction and each comprises, preferably, a single elongated sheet 26 of suitable material, preferably flexible or bendable,v provided with means at its forward end 2! to form a stop for merchandise. This means may comprise a turned-up portion 22 of the shelf material, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

, The rearward end 23 of the shelf is higher than the forward end 21, since the shelf slopes upwardly from, preferably, near the forward end. There may be provided a substantially flat portion 24 to the shelf extending rearwardly from the forward end 2i so that merchandise carried at this forward end will be substantially vertical. Preferably each shelf is of the same depth.

Extending from adjacent the forward end 2| of each shelf, toward the rearward end 23 are a plu-- rality of spaced apart slots or openings 25. These openings 25 may begin just slightly rearwardly of the flat portion. 2 and are for a purpose later described.

Two spaced apart end panels D are provided to carry each shelf C. Each panel D, shown particularlyin Figure 6, may comprise an upright section 33 having a suitably sloping upper edge fii-with this edge 3! sloping rearwardly and upwardly from the front. It is upon'the sloping edges 3! of each pair of panels that the shelf rests, and may be suitably secured thereto. Thus, if the shelf C comprises a bendable metallic sheet, the latter will assume the contour of the a pair it, as shown edges 35 when the shelf is upon the end panels. In any case, the material making up the shelf tending from, preferably, the front of the upright section, toward the rear, but considerably short with a slot 36 extending thru face to face 33, for a purpose to be described.

The bracket means E preferably comprise telescoping members 35 and 36, the member 35' telescoping within the hollow member 35. Each member 35 is provided with beveled end faces 31 and 35.3 and a row of spaced-apart screw-threaded sockets Eli, one side face 49. A screw-threaded perforation ii is also provided in its lower face 42 adjacent the end face 38. The telescoping memher 353 may have only one beveled end face 43, this being its outer end face. A set screw 44 is provided for the perforation M and adapted to bear against the lower face 45 of the telescoping member when the latter is within or partly within the member 35.

These bracket means E are adapted to extend horizontally from one sloping face l1 to the oppositesloping face ii of the supports B, with the beveled end faces 8? and 38 or 37 and 43, as the case may be, in intimate contact with the faces ll. Thus the bracket means are wedged into place. It is apparent that vertical adjustment of the bracket means E, along each V-shaped memher it] is possible, by lengthening or shortening the bracket means and setting it in its correct position by means of the set screw 44. Generally, two or three different lengths of bracket means E are required in order to position the various bracket means, one above the other, in suitable spaced-apart relation. but generally, only one length of end panel D is required and one depth of shelf 0.

So that all shelves C will have ends 325 in substantially the same vertical plane, the end panels D may be secured to the bracket means in a horizontally adjustable relation by means of suitable bolts 45 which extend from one side face (the inner side face) thru the slot thru the opposite side face 33 of theenlarge ment 232 and into the screw-threaded sockets 38 or the telescoping member 35, the bolts, of course, having screw threads at one of their ends to cooperate with the screwthreads in the walls of the sockets 3 Thus the-panels D have an adjustable horizontally sliding relation with the bracket means E.

It is obvious that the shelves C may be quickly raised or lowered simply by loosening the set screws 4:2 extending or retracting the telescoping members 3t, and again tightening the set screws when adjustment is made.

A. novel article separator and guide means F is provided. his comprises suitable lengths ill! of 1, preferably wire, provided with hooks at the ends of each, and adapted to extheir forward end across and above the shelves from front to rear with the hook 1i! engaging the forward end i and the hook 552- engaging the rearward end in Figure 6 with the to, substantially as shown wiretaut. Each length is disposed over and paralleling a slot These lengths 59, suitably spaced apart, provide guideways for containers of employed with merchandise J adapted to slide down the shelves C, by gravity, but they also provide in cooperation with the anchor and support means G, braces for the shelves.

These anchor short lengths of guide wire lengths llal taut as Well. This also provides substantial bracing for the shelves, since from six to twelve or more guide wires may be each shelf 0.

A suitable pusher means H for containers of merchandise J may be employed for urging the partly tainer separator and guide means F employed with each shelf, is, of course, governed by the width of the containers J.

While the shelves are relatively light-weight, they are rendered strong and the bracket means E cooperating with the contact, the sloping surfaces of said supports,

means for holding said supports in upright positions, telescoping brackets carried by said supports and having beveled ends, means retaining various vertically adjusted positions with said beveled ends in intimate contact with the sloping surfaces of said supports, a shelf, a pair of spaced-apart end panels, with said panels sloping upwardly from the front of said rack, said shelf being mounted upon said panels and sloping therewith, and means detachably securing said end panels to said brackets.

3. In a display and self-serving rack, a pair of spaced-apart, substantially V-shaped end supports, end means for holding said supports in upright position, a shelf, a pair of verticallyextending end panels having their upper edges sloping upwardly and rearwardly from the front portion of said rack, with said shelf mounted upon said edges and substantially following the contour of their sloping upper edges, and means securingsaid panels to said supports, including brackets having bevelled end faces in contact with said supports in wedging relation therewith.

4. In a display and self-service store fixture, spaced-apart vertical end supports, a sloping shelf mounted upon said supports and having an upwardly-extending forward edge and a rearward edge above said forward edge, a guide wire extending tautly from said forward edge to said rearward edge and above said shelf, an anchor wire slidably secured to said guide wire and depending therefrom, and means for retaining said anchor wire taut between said guide wire and shelf.

5. In a display and self-service store fixture, spaced-apart vertical end supports; an elongated shelf extending between said supports, having a forward edge and arearward edge and a slot extending transversely thru said shelf intermediate said edges; end panels having their upper edges sloping rearwardly and upwardly from the front of said rack, with said shelf mounted upon said upper edges and substantially following the contour of said upper edges; means securing said end panels to said end supports; a

slot; an anchor wire, slidably secured to said guide wire and extending thru said slot; and means below upon the under side thereof, for retaining said anchor wire taut.

6. In a merchandise display unit adapted to cause merchandise to move forward by gravity, spaced-apart vertical supports; an elongated shelf of relatively thin flexible material, supported upon said supports, and provided with a forward edge, a merchandise stop at said forward edge, a rearward edge disposed above said forward edge, and a slot extending transversely thru said shelf intermediate said edges; end panels having upwardly and. rearwardly sloping upper edges; means securing said end panels to said supports; a guide wire extending above said shelf from said forward edge to said rearward edge and over said slot; a taut anchor wire, secured at one end to said guide wire and extending downwardly thru and below said slot with the other end of said anchor'wire provided with screw threads, and a nut with its screw threads cooperating with said first named screw threads and bearing against the under side of said shelf, whereby said anchor wire will retain said guide wire taut and brace said shelf.

, FRANK M. OCONNOR.

guide wire extending tautly above said shelf from said forward to said rearward edges and paralleling said said shelf and bearing upwardly 

